12 tags of 2014 July

Hi everyone! I am in the last minute again with my version of Tim Holtz July 12 tags of 2014.

 

I made my tag pretty similar to Tim's, because I got these dies recently and wanted to use them again. For the background, I used Seedless Preserves Distress Paint, Peacock Feathers Distress Stain and Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I wanted the background to be pretty dark, since this scene is at the bottom of the sea. I stamped the shrink plastic tag with a text stamp before dry embossing it and for the embossing I used the Ink Splats folder, which works well for irregular bubbles.

Here you can see the stamping on the plastic tag a little better. The seahorses were painted with pink and purple Distress Paints and I used beads for the eyes.

I really liked Tim's idea for making sand, it will also be perfect for 3-D projects. I used slightly different ingredients, adding some Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder and Black Soot Distress Glitter. The texture of the die cuts partly covered with Distress Embossing Powder is really cool.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I'll be back tomorrow with a Sizzix tutorial.

 

Happy crafting!

 

Anna-Karin

Supplies:
Surfaces: Ranger: Manila Cardstock, Shrink Plastic; Tim Holtz idea-ology Grungeboard
Dies: Sizzix: Sand & Sea, Tag & Bookplates, Mini Sand & Sea
Embossing folder: Sizzix: Ink Splats & Wood Planks
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Curiosities
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black; Distress Ink: Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Gathered Twigs
Paint: Distress Paint: Spun Sugar, Antique Linen, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Rusty Hinge, Frayed Burlap, Picket Fence
Stain: Distress Stain: Peacock Feathers
Embossing powder: Ranger: clear UTEE; Distress Embossing Powder: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo
Glitter: Distress Glitter: Antique Linen, Black Soot
Embellishments: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Word Bands, Linen Ribbon, Jute String

 

Inktense Art Journaling

Hi and welcome! This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is 'J is for'. Anything you can think of starting with or related to J. Fun! I made an art journal page.

 

I was planning to do a journal page, as my 'J' project, but about something else. Then after a bad knee day, I kept thinking 'j is for joint' (as in knee joint). One of my knees is a total mess after an old injury (see this layout), and this year it's gotten worse. I did this layout without much of a plan, and it is pretty busy and a little chaotic, a bit like how I imagine my knee to look on the inside. I played around with Inktense Blocks, which are great fun. If you add water, they turn into watercolour, but once dry, it is permanent. I started out making five different imperfect circles, all of them being partial and not complete.

After the first layer dried, I added details with a marker, stamps and stencils. The stamps I used are by Hero Arts. If you wet the Inktense Blocks a little, they can easily be applied right onto a rubber stamp. Mist a few times with water before stamping. Distress Ink was also sponged through stencils.

 

The tree was inked up with green and blue Inktense Blocks, when you mist the stamp with water the colours will blend. After stamping the tree, I misted it very lightly with water to make the paint wick out from the branches. Paint a shadow for the tree with a paint brush, picking the paint up from the blocks.

 

The cool splatters were done by applying water to a block and holding the block above the page, flicking paint off with a paint brush. The red circles were stamped with Red Geranium ink, these circles are also broken, which fit with the theme. I also stamped blue circles with the Painted Circle stamp and a blue Inktense block.

 

I printed this poem by Emily Dickinson on vellum and adhered with mini staples.

 

I also use used Simon Says Stamp Exclusive tree dies, symbolising my love of being outdoors.

I added a stamped bike, an word die cut and some tissue tape. This was done on watercolour paper and adhered to my large Dylusions Journal.

 

I hope you will join us this week in our 'J' challenge, as every week, one random participant wins a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by today!!

 

Happy crafting!

 

Anna-Karin

 

Supplies:

Surfaces: Ranger Dyan Reaveley Dylusions Journal; watercolour paper

Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Tall Forest Tree, Life, Family, Love

Stamps: Hero Arts: Old Letter CG197, Scroll Tree F4927, Bird D5890,  Past Times AC007, Time AC029, My Favorite AC030, Painted Circle E5784, Texture and Shape LP283, Journal Letters CL697

Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Red Geranium; Distress Ink: Faded Jeans

Paint: Derwent Inktense Blocks

Stencils: Dina Wakley Ranger: Birds in Flight; The Crafter's Workshop: Mini Raindrops

Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Laboratorie Tissue Tape

Drawing without an eraser

Hello everyone!  It is Saturday and there is a new CSI:Color, Stories, Inspiration challenge up. Here's the case file: 

 

My layout:

I made a simple watercolour background similar to the one in the inspiration image. I liked the white part at the top in the latter and imitated that by adding some clean water along the edge which made the watercolour paint move out into that water creating a soft edge. From the evidence items I used: branch, labels, and bird. From the testimony items, I was inspired by the food theme to scrap this photo of my son the first morning before he went to his new school, with the lunch bag that he had picked for himself. I typed a whole lot of journaling and placed it behind the layout.

 

I used some brand new Simon Says Stamp Exclusive dies and stamps on the layout, mainly from the This is the Life collection. The sun and tiny heart were stamped with Archival Ink and cut out with the coordinating dies. I love this sweet Cloud Bank die and it was a great home for some Tim Holtz rub-ons words. The background was stamped with different Tim Holtz stamps, some of them with Distress Ink and some were white embossed. 

The Bird Branch is a Sizzix die by Tim Holtz, which I have used quite a few times. I die cut it from white mat board and inked the branch with Tree Branch ink. The bird was cut off from the branch and painted with watercolours.

I wanted the paint brushes to both look a little like trees on the hill. They were stamped with Jet Black ink, coloured with Inktense pencils and then I added some water with a brush, turning the pencils into watercolour.

 

I love this quote stamp by Tim Holtz and thought it was perfect for the theme. It was stamped with Jet Black ink and coloured with Inktense pencils, again adding water to turn them into watercolour.

The frames come from the new Simon Set Stamp Frames set, which die cuts a whole bunch of labels and frames. I particularly like these thin frames.  

In the foreground, I stamped Tim Holtz flowers, first with Shabby Shutters ink (misting the stamp with water before stamping) and then again white embossed. Wait until the Distress Ink is totally dry before doing the heat embossing, otherwise the embossing powder will stick to the ink.

 

Thank you for stopping by today!

 

Happy crafting!

 

Anna-Karin

 

Supplies:

Surfaces: Daler & Rowney watercolour paper; Sizzix Little Sizzles White Mat Board; Neenah Smooth Solar White

Dies: Sizzix: Bird Branch; Simon Says Stamp: Cloud Bank, Frames, Road Trip, Tall Flowers

Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Typography, Nature's Moment, Artful Tools, Just Thoughts, Stuff to Says; Simon Says Stamp: Road Trip

Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Tree Branch, Vermillion, Pale Ochre; Distress Ink: Shabby Shutters, Salty Ocean

Paint: Daler & Rowney watercolours

Pencils: Derwent Inktense

Embossing powder: Ranger White

Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Label Letters, Index Labels, Botanicals Remnant Rubs, Life Quotes Remnant Rubs

Mini Envelope Art Journal Page

Hi all! I hope you are well! Today I have a quick art journal page to share, made with Marisa Pawelko's new Sizzix Modern Surrealist line, and stamps and papers by Tim Holtz.

 

When I was a child, I used to now and then write down some information and thoughts on a small piece of paper and roll it up in more paper, stapling everything so that it couldn't be easily opened. All those little envelopes were placed in a wooden box that I had made (covered in stickers), and I decided not to open them until I was grown up. I wrote about the prices of various things, things we had done, memories thoughts, etc. This cute Mini Envelope die made me think of those notes and I thought they were perfect for an art journal page.

 

The SophistiCut is such a cute machine, made to be used with the Originals or On the Edge dies. It comes with two cutting pads, place your die on top of one of them, the paper to be die cut on top of the die and the last cutting pad at the top. I die cut the envelopes from leftover gelli prints, made with Sizzix embossing folders and paint by Dina Wakley. You can find my tutorial for these here. My leftovers were strips, the perfect size for this die, and also printed on both sides, which worked well for the envelopes.

 

These envelopes are 1.5 x 2 in big (small!) and would also be great for scrapbooking or cardmaking. I added some tissue tape to them, a label and chit chat stickers. The background was first covered with gesso and then painted with Distress Paints. When it was dry, I added some stamping. This text stamp is a favourite of mine.  

 

There are some ephemera papers layered under the envelopes. The envelopes open like this, a perfect place for journaling.

I just had to use the Big City die again, since I love it. Check out this post to see how I used it on a cuff bracelet and a tag. Today, I die cut it from paper covered with tissue tape. It was inked and misted with water to create a mottled effect. The talk bubble comes from the Thought Talk Bubbles die and I also die cut a chain border from a metal foil sheet. The leftover tiny squares were placed on the envelopes.

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

 

Happy crafting!

 

Anna-Karin

 

Supplies:

Surfaces: Ranger Dylusions Small Creative Journal; Tim Holtz Idea-ology Wallflower paper stash; Neenah Smooth Solar White cardstock; Ranger/Vintaj Metal-pressions Silver sheets

Dies: Sizzix: Mini Envelope, Big City, Thought Talk Bubbles, Chained
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz: Stuff to Say, Graph & Croc, Psychedelic Grunge
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black, Tree Branch, Potting Soil; Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs
Paint: Distress Paint: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs
Medium: Ranger Dina Wakley White Gesso
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Symphony Tissue Tape, Index Labels, Chit Chat stickers, Expedition Ephemera Pack
Tools: Sizzix SophistiCut Machine

Vintage Camera Card

Hello! I have a thing for camera stamps and dies, and knew I would like the new Sizzix Retro Camera Card die. Today I am sharing a card I made with this die on the Sizzix blog.

 

My grandfather was an amateur photographer and when I made this I was thinking of his cameras. I used a childhood photo of my mom to embellish the card. You could also use this die to create an interactive flap on a scrapbook layout, as a place for more photos and journaling. Tim Holtz kraft-core cardstock works great to create an old worn feeling and I also used a foil and mirror elements.

To read more and for close-ups, head over to the Sizzix blog.

Thank you for looking!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

The Sea Watercolour Layout

Hi and welcome! I can't believe July is soon over, it just seems to have disappeared. This week we have a mid-summer challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Do a summer project, or interpret it to mean something like heat embossing. Lots of options!

 

I already did a project using a photo from the Swedish Midsummer celebrations, see this Configurations Book. When thinking of what to do for this challenge, I came up on a photo taken a few years ago and decided that it was time to do something with it. I extended the scene in the photo with watercolours. After picking and mixing my colours - you always want to mix enough paint before starting, I simply sketched some lines continuing the photo onto the background.

 

I painted the sky by first applying clean water to the sky area and then a wash of blue and blue-grey. The clouds were lifted out with a tissue paper. When the sky was dry, I continued with the sand banks, dropping in a darker shadow colour and finished with the beach. Some dry-brushing was done to add texture. I also stamped a Tim Holtz flower with Frayed Burlap ink, misting the inked stamp with water before stamping. I was a little heavy handed with the tracks in the sand, and they are not quite as I wanted them to be.

 

A few birds were painted in the sky, and I sanded the edges of the photo to make it stand out a little. The title was done with Industrious stickers and since there were red elements in the photo, I stamped two compasses with Red Geranium ink and cut them out.

I stamped a Tim Holtz sentiment into the sand with Potting Soil ink and added a little Heart Charm. Linen Ribbon is perfect for a beach feeling, especially if you pull it apart a little bit. I also added some twine.

Tim's Sizzix mini Seahorse die is so cute. I die cut them from mat board and dropped some watercolour paint onto them, letting the paint mix the way it wanted to. The eyes are pearls with a dot added with a marker.

I also stamped some mini Nautical Blueprints with Tree Branch ink, cut them out and inked them lightly.

I couldn't help myself, but just had to add a quote too. I liked this quote since even though you don't see the sea in this scene, it is very clear that it is close by.

 

I hope you'll join us in our mid-summer challenge, and as every week, one random participant wins a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp.

 

 

Thank you for looking! Enjoy summer!

 

Anna-Karin

 

Supplies:

Surfaces: Ranger Watercolor paper; Neenah Smooth Solar White cardstock

Dies: Sizzix: Mini Sand & Sea

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz: Words for Thought, Nature's Moment, Warehouse District, Mini Blueprints #6

Ink: Archival Ink: Potting Soil, Red Geranium, Tree Branch; Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs

Paint: Winsor & Newton Cotman Set

Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Linen Ribbon, Chiseled Industrious Stickers, Heart Charms

Tools: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Tiny Attacher; Sizzix: Big Shot

Dream Scenic Stamping Layout

Hi stampers! We are continuing with our July fairy tale theme at Craft a Scene, and I interpreted the theme quite wide this week.

 

I hadn't done one of these layouts in a while, where I place my son into a scene. This is a full sheet scene done on glossy cardstock. The stamping was done with Jet Black ink and I coloured the scene with grey and black dye inks, as usually starting with the lightest ink and gradually going darker. In the August edition of the Craft Stamper, you can find the second article of my scenic series, and it deals with black and white scenes, both with dye inks and watercolours/Distress Ink. Black and white scenes are so fun to do and they make you focus value, light and shadows.

 

I made a dramatic sky with star stamps and clouds. Here you can see the highlights done with white pigment inks around some of the stars to make them shine. I used a Tim Holtz Word Band as my sentiment, fitting both with the scene and the fairy tale theme.

Life was added to the expanse of water with a sail boat stamp. Here are some more examples of these full sheet scenes with photos added: A Fairy Tale, Follow your Dreams, On the Beach, and Train Ride.

Thank you for visiting today!

Happy stamping! There is still plenty of time to join us this week.

Anna-Karin

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampscapes: Cloud Cumulus 018E, Rocky Cliff Left 133G, Seaside Cove 139H, Sailboat 153B, Boulders with Lichen 205F, Eerie Moon 282F, Star Birth 217G
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black; Distress Ink: Black Soot; Jenni Bowlin: Weather Vane; Adirondack: Slate; Colorbox Frost White
Paint: Distress Paint: Picket Fence
Surfaces: Kromecote glossy cardstock
Embellishments: Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Word Bands, Long Fasteners